The Grape Vine (July)

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Volume IV Issue No. 6 The Official Newsletter of St. John’s UMC July 2011 By Linette Romualdo Kathlyn Talapian Erlinda Esteban and Ri- cardo Menacho were named as champions of St. John’s first Bean Bag Tournament, which was held on July 30 in the church gym. Competing against three other teams, the triumphant duo skillfully won their games with numerous bull’s eye tosses.  The Bean Bag Toss Tour- nament was a fundraising event initiated by the Finance Committee of St. John’s for the Building Fund of the church. Over-all, St. John’s raised a total of $220 from team registrations and dona- tions. Finance Chair Evelyn St. John’s United Methodist Church 1100 Ontario St. Oak Park, IL Tel No. (708) 386-5882 Open Hearts. Open Doors. Open Minds. Women-to-Women: By Kathlyn Talapian Women of St. John’s have gathered again on July 24 to have fellowship and get to know each other in the second event of Women-to-Women (W2W). The activity underlined the truth that we are all one body in Christ. Each in- dividual may have his or her own char- acteristics and skills, but together, we make up the church of the Lord. To- gether, and through the Spirit of God, we can achieve great things that we never heard of. The highlight of W2W was a message delivered by Delia Ramirez of Hum- boldt Park Social Services. She talked of the wonders of being a woman as Continue on page 3 Vicera perceived the tourna- ment a success. She assured that "there will be another tournament soon." The UMYF also supported the event with their presence and through selling food and beverages. Youth President Joash Mencias believed that the fundraising activity "is a tool to help people come to church." Vicera is thankful to all the people who helped make the event a memorable one. One of these people is Bill Vainowski, who coordinated with Finance Committee for the game equipments. “These games wouldn't be possible without his help,” Vicera said. A Tournament for a Cause St. John’s Raises $220 for Building Fund through Bean Bag Toss Games The tournament players sought to help the church and have fun. One Body and One Spirit in the Lord Ramirez delivered the message during W2W

Transcript of The Grape Vine (July)

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Volume IV Issue No. 6 The Official Newsletter of St. John’s UMC July 2011

By Linette RomualdoKathlyn Talapian

Erlinda Esteban and Ri-cardo Menacho were namedas champions of St. John’s

first Bean Bag Tournament,which was held on July 30 inthe church gym. Competing

against three other teams, thetriumphant duo skillfully wontheir games with numerousbull’s eye tosses. 

The Bean Bag Toss Tour-nament was a fundraisingevent initiated by the FinanceCommittee of St. John’s for

the Building Fund of thechurch. Over-all, St. John’s

raised a total of $220 fromteam registrations and dona-

tions. Finance Chair Evelyn

St. John’s UnitedMethodist Church

1100 Ontario St. Oak Park, IL

Tel No. (708) 386-5882

Open Hearts. Open

Doors. Open Minds.

Women-to-Women:

By Kathlyn Talapian

Women of St. John’s have gathered

again on July 24 to have fellowship andget to know each other in the secondevent of Women-to-Women (W2W).

The activity underlined the truth that we are all one body in Christ. Each in-dividual may have his or her own char-acteristics and skills, but together, wemake up the church of the Lord. To-gether, and through the Spirit of God,we can achieve great things that wenever heard of.

The highlight of W2W was a messagedelivered by Delia Ramirez of Hum-boldt Park Social Services. She talked

of the wonders of being a woman asContinue on page 3

Vicera perceived the tourna-ment a success. She assuredthat "there will be anothertournament soon."

The UMYF also supportedthe event with their presenceand through selling food andbeverages. Youth President Joash Mencias believed that 

the fundraising activity "is atool to help people come tochurch."

Vicera is thankful to all thepeople who helped make theevent a memorable one. One of these people is Bill Vainowski,who coordinated with FinanceCommittee for the gameequipments. “These games

wouldn't be possible without his help,” Vicera said.

A Tournament for a CauseSt. John’s Raises $220 for Building

Fund through Bean Bag Toss Games

The tournament players sought to help the church and have fun.

One Body and OneSpirit in the Lord 

Ramirez delivered the message during W2W

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The Good News

NAFAUM Sets Plans for Next Convocations

Page 2 July 2011

ies. Delegates also enjoyed fel-lowship with each otherthroughout the event.

The Talapian siblings, theMencias family and Willie andBeth Armea represented the

congregation of St. John’s.

An important matter dis-cussed in NAFAUM was thelocation of the future convoca-tions. Although the represen-

tatives of Northern IllinoisConference (NIC) originallyplanned to host the 2013NAFAUM Convocation andCentennial Celebration, it wasdecided that the next gather-ing will be held in the Califor-nia Pacific Conference. NIC willnow host the 15th Convoca-tion in 2015.

Another matter was the

election of new leaders of NAFAUM. Kathlyn Talapianwas voted to be the youth rep-resentative on the Board of Directors. Rev. Lisa Gay Santi-ago of the Western Jurisdictionwas elected as the new presi-dent.

One slightly surprising votewas the discontinuation of thePaglago Fund, a program foremerging Filipino ministries

within the United States. TheBoard of Directors has formed acommittee to be headed by for-mer President Ruby Bago that will propose a new program inreplacement of Paglago.

Marcia McFee, the worship de-signer for the upcoming 2012UMC General Conference, led thedelegation through interactiveworship experiences, combining

traditional hymns with tribal andcontemporary rhythms.

Due to the high population of Filipinos around the Silicon Val-ley area, food was catered byGoldilocks, a popular Filipinofood chain. Many delegates en-joyed a taste of home, especiallythose not from California. The last night was a festive occasion asdelegates attended Hawaiian

Night. People enjoyed food, per-formances, and dancing, espe-cially after a tiring day of busi-ness sessions.

As the convocation ended,many looked forward to the up-coming events of NAFAUM. Bagosaid, “We look forward to extend-

ing the ‘wave’ to all Filipino

American United Methodists that are in Chicago.” 

By Joash Mencias

Delegates across the countryand the Philippines, includingabout a dozen from St. John’s,

attended the 13th Convocationof the National Association of Filipino American United Meth-odists (NAFAUM) in Campbell,California from July 5-8.

The theme was “Bridging the

Waves, Journey to Hope.” Dele-

gates discussed issues in the

Philippines and voted on variousresolutions as well as new offi-cers. The gathering wasn’t all

business though, as delegates’

spiritual needs were fulfilledthrough worship and Bible stud-

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Page 3 July 2011

The Good NewsWomen-to-WomenContinued from front page

she has experienced in her life. She also discussed her mis-sion with Humboldt Park Social Services, and encouragedSt. John’s to get involved in mission work that helps people

find hope and purpose in life.W2W began with welcome remarks from Darlene Rodri-

guez, Chair of the Outreach Committee, which hosted theevent. She was followed by Elsa Pariona, who shared herstory of how God has remained faithful in her life.

Pastor Nancy Hunter led the group discussion after theinspirational message. The group talked about the keyscripture of W2W, which was 1 Corinthians 12:12-31.

W2W was filled with sharing of stories and life princi-ples. More importantly, it was filled with smiles and open

hearts to understand and to know deeper one another.Pastor Hunter explained that W2W seeks to “enable

women to understand themselves and accept each other’sgifts and talents, so that when we go outside in the future,when are better equipped to make a change.” 

songs like "Run" by Hill-song and "What FaithCan Do" by Kutless.

Pastor Reuel Talapiangave a message about faith shown through ouractions. He reflected onSNA's theme verse,which was James 2:18b:"I will show you my faithby what I do." SNA ended

with a closing prayer andbenediction by PastorJerry Grim.

Rejoice! Dancer Eliza-beth Cywrus said, "Ilearned this SNA that nomatter what's happening,you always need to keep faith.With it, you go the extra mile withGod. Like the song ‘What Faith Can

Do’ says, anything could happen as

long as you have faith."The next SNA is on August 20,

SNA Urges For Praxis

of Faith to the Lord 

By Linette Romualdo

Reena Monalie Ramos testifiedabout her youth experiences and mis-sion trips in the Philippines andKenya during the recently concludedSNA, July 24.

The contemporary worship, enti-tled "Praxis: Faith in Action," also fea-

tured spe-cial music

from EdisonPark UMYFand a poemabout faithby KathlynTalapian.

15:2 Exo-dus and Re-joice! Danc-ers led thepraise sing-ing, per-f o r m i n g

and it bears the theme,“Mission:Possible.” It’s in-

spired by theme verse, Mat-thew 19:26b: "With man thisis impossible, but with God

all things are possible."

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Page 4 July 2011

Fruits of the Vine

By Gloria Domingo

Are you experiencing hardships

in life? Did u lose a job, a loved

one, your home or property? Do

you need healing emotionally or

physically? There are a lot of terri-

ble things that we can name that

happens to people who believe in

God, who try hard to do what is

right at all times, who try to serve

God the best way they can, and

Our God, Our Protector who go to church and pray.

Maybe you are asking God, why

me? Why are we being punished?

What have we done to deserve

such hardships? Why do we suffer

when we don’t deserve it? 

What do you do? Do you really

have the right to question God? Do

you really think God is so cruel to

punish you for something you did-

n’t do? Did God abandon you? Is

He listening? Had He forgotten all

about you? Is there really God? If 

there is one, what kind of God do

we have?

There are lots of questions that,

to tell you the truth, I can’t an-

swer. But think hard, my sisters

and brothers. Does your trust in

God run so low? Didn’t all the Bible

lessons, sermons and fellowship at

church prepare you to face all the

hardship life brings?

Is it right to turn away from God

at this time when you should call

Him more? When you are down and

feeling hopeless, discouraged, isn’t

it the time to pray more, to give

more time to God, to trust God and

show Him that you have faith in

Him, that you believe in Him and are

putting everything in His hand, that

God is in control? Isn’t this the timeto show God that you believe and

no matter what the situation is, you

won’t abandon Him. Yes, abandon

Him.

Friends, hold on to your faith.

Don’t turn your back on God. When

you are down and feeling low, you

should turn to Him. He’s the only

one whom you can depend on. Hold

on to God. Keep up the Spirit. Don’t

give up.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHTBy Joash Mencias

Lolit Flores

Member, Membership Care Committee

The Grape Vine (TGV): How long have you

been attending St. John’s? 

Lolit Flores (LF): Since 1994. We came

through the invitation of June Ariba.

TGV: Why did you choose St. John’s? 

LF: I wanted a church that was active espe-

cially for my kids and grandkids. I wanted

them to participate in activities.

TGV: You are known for your cooking skills. Where did you get them?LF: I think I got them from my mother.

TGV: St. John’s is ________________ 

LF: The place where I learned to become closer to God.

FAITH

By Kathlyn Talapian

When you feel like falling,

Have faith, God is always thereWhen you feel like failing

Have faith cause there’s

nothing that you can’t bear  

I’m walking in a cave 

that is long and dark 

Yet I’m not afraid 

His love ignites a spark 

Of light, of hope

To guide my wayOf strength, of courage

To help me face the

trials of the day

Life could be so hard,

bleak and uncertain

As if there’s nothing else in the

world but suffering and pain

Yet God has plans, and though

we can’t always understand 

We need to just have faith

and surrender all in His hand.

Continue on page 6

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Page 5 July 2011

Fruits of the Vine

I can see myself involved withthis organization every year. It 

has now become one of my lifepassions to raise money for Relayfor Life. I do hope that in my lifetime, my friends and family willnever hear the word cancer. If they do, I hope that AmericanCancer Society have the fundsand the research that will curecancer.

Midwest Professional Dental isnow a proud sponsor of Ameri-

can Cancer Society Relay for Life.I also have my father-in-law inmind and prayers when I raisefunds for this organization. As aDental Hygienist, I want to raise

EXCERPTS FROM INDEPENDENCE SUNDAY MESSAGE

at Fresno Christian Fellowship UMC, July 3, 2011

of Justice Ruben T. Reyes

We pause and thank God for American Inde-

 pendence Day. In the Philippines, July 4 is nowobserved as Filipino-American Friendship

Day. June 12, is the new Philippine Independ-ence Day to commemorate its earlier libera-

tion from Spanish Rule 113 years ago.

We have a saying “Ang hindi lumingon sa pinangalingan ay hindi makararating sa paro-

roonan.” Literally, he who does not look back to the past will not reach his

destination. Essentially, he who is not grateful to his benefactor will not

succeed in life.

We are grateful to the Lord for the gift of freedom of worship. We are

 joined by 11 million other Methodists worldwide. We thank our forefa-thers and those who have led us to enjoy this privilege. We cannot over-

look that we’re part of a chosen people, blessed with the free exercise and

 practice of religion.

In many places, people are still unable to worship publicly in aChristian setting. Reading, discussing, and distributing the Bible is forbid-den, preaching the Gospel and sharing the message of salvation in Christis banned. Our son, Pastor Winston, and some companions went to China

for evangelism. After a few days, they were threatened with deportation.Similar restrictions are enforced in other non-Christian countries. How

fortunate are we!

the awareness on oralcancer. Early detection

of oral cancer is veryimportant. We can usethe Vizilite test to de-tect the cancer early at an early stage. This isvery affordable at ouroffice (only $39.95).

I was asked to be part of thecommittee of the Relay for Lifenext year. I gladly accepted thisinvitation.

The relay was held for twelvehours where we celebrated life,remembered our love ones andfought back at cancer and becamesurvivors.

The event itself is a lot of fun. Ihave gain new friends in the proc-ess as I welcome everyone in mycircle of friends. Jasmine and Na-

than had an awesome time thisyear and even I had a blast. Myhusband Ron is always such a bighelp as supporter to everythingthat I'm involved with. He alsosees himself doing this eventevery year. I also thank the mem-bers of St. John’s who came this

year and supported our event.This August, Midwest Profes-

sional Dental is going to sponsor

the Oak Brook Relay for Life. Hopeto see you all there. My God blessus all with good health.

With Love and Prayers From theSmiths Family, Ron, Maryrose,Nathan and Jasmine

August 12-13 (7 PM—5 PM)

Coordinator:

Ronald Romualdo

Open to the whole family!

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Page 6 July 2011

The Grape Jelly

W A T E R S K I J C G V B B J L M I E S

V C Y Q H J T H J Q P G N Z Z N S R K U

Y M W L X G T G M J S K V N S V L F I R

T Z I P T T Y K H W X N R A D E I I H F

Z P M N M B A R B E C U E O R H D S K O

W J J R E M C L I M B N J W A K E H A Z

Q K U P L O E P I C N I C J O A A U U H

I M E S G Q N G S E B H B Z B W G I E O

P H P N Q G O A K T C C N B E O T C E P

F V O K S N I I C L V Z I T T J H E H S

R G R J B I B Y B R E R X F A H I C E C

I Q P F U T M K E P D K F M K R J R N O

S I M C V A J U A W H Y H A S C P E O T

B J U I F O O M A L L A B E S A B A I C

E Y J J V B Y T W C D M L V W B G M T H

E S D S A J C T D A I V L P P O R J A G

V K W Z F H F N P W Q M Y G C U L N C X

I L N I C A M P S U Z K R K D R C C A Q

D G P I N K X K Q N E D R A G N W U V G

R D Z X D G V O L L E Y B A L L M T E X

** Word Search **

BARBECUE

BASEBALL

BIKE

BIRDWATCH

BOATING

CAMP

CANOE

CLIMB

DIVE

ICE CREAM

FISH

FRISBEE

GARDEN

HIKE

HOPSCOTCH

JUMPROPE

PICNIC

SKATEBOARD

SLIDE

SURF

SWIM

SWING

VACATION

VOLLEYBALL

WATERSKI

The Grape Vine Staff

Kathlyn TalapianEditor-in-Chief 

[email protected]

Joash Mencias

Linette Romualdo

Reporters

Justice Reuben T. Reyes

Gloria Domingo

April Cyrwus

Adrian FarralesContributors

Rev. Reuel TalapianAdviser 

1) Psalm 118 is the middle chapter of the entire

Bible 

2) Psalm 117, before Psalm 118, is the shortest

chapter in the Bible 

3) Psalm 119 is the longest chapter in the Bible 

4) The Bible has 594 chapters before Psalm 118

and 594 chapters after Psalm 118 

5) If you add up all the chapters except Psalm

118, you get a total of 1188 chapters.

6) That's Psalm 118 Verse 8 - which would be the

middle chapter of the entire Bible 

God, Our Protector

Continued from page 4

Pray more, serve more, read the Bible, hold on to His promises. He

won’t abandon you. You are not alone. Believe. Don’t make the mis-

take of turning your back on God. This is the time you need Him

more. Hold on Him more, talk to Him, work harder and have faith in

Him.

Don’t you think you need God more during the lowest time in

your life? When you are down then you need someone to support

you. Keep trusting. He is our hope. He knows our need. He will take

care of you.

Everyday I keep praying that no matter what happened to me, Godwill keep on protecting me. Thank God for His enduring love. Amen.